Bathtub



H. GRUEN Nov. 25, 1947.

BATHTUB Filed May 29, 1946 I. 7 OIIIII'"II"I"" INVENTOR HENRY GRu/EN Patented Nov. 25, '1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BATHTU B Henry Gruen, New York, N. Y. Application May 29, 1946, Serial No. 673,090

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in plumbing fixtures generally and particularly in bath tubs of the type disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,396,845, granted to me March 19, 1946. It Will be apparent from the disclosure that follows, that some features of the invention may be applied to advantage to basins for bathrooms, shower bases, sinks and combination sinks, urinals and other wall-attached fixtures.

In the manufacture of so-called built-in tubs, the practice in the art for many years past has been to form the tub with a double front wall, to provide an apron that extends vertically downward from the rim to the floor and serves as a front support for the tub and also to give it a finished appearance.

As the apron adds considerably to the cost of manufacture and materially increases the weight of the tub, the object of the invention is to eliminate it and get an apron effect by providing a lower branched addition to the front wall, as a continuation thereof, which extends to the floor and serves as a support for the tub.

As a further feature of improvement, a rim seat is provided by an upper edge formation of the front wall of the tub, which projects sufficiently inward to serve as a deflector for splash water and turn it back into the tub.

The upper edge of the tub, throughout that portion that meets an adjoining wall, is extended by an approximately L-shaped flange, the upright section of which is fitted in flush relation and bonded to the wall, as disclosed in my prior patent above referred to and serves as a water shed into the tub.

For added anchorage of the tub to the wall, riblike projections are provided in the rear face of the vertical section of the flange, which are apertured to permit the wall plaster, cement or nails to tie through the same.

A bath tub construction suitable for carrying the invention into eifect, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings but it will be understood that no limitations are intended by this showing other than are imposed by the appended claims.

In the drawings- Fig. l is a plan view of a bath tub constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view in perspective, on the line s -s of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, showing the anchorage and bonding of the flanged edge of the tub in the wall.

Referring now to the drawing, l indicates the front wall of the tub which is split and branched portion thereof, whereby,

near the base, one branch, indicated at 2, being curved downwardly and rearwardly, to join the front wall to the body or bottom wall portion of the tub and the other, indicated at 3, extending vertically downward, as a continuation of the front wall to the floor, to serve as a support for the tub and to conceal the bottom of the tub and the space between it and the floor thereby give the tub a finished appearance.

The upper edge of the front wall, for a suitable length, is also split, forming upwardly and oppositely curved supports 4 and 5, for a rim seat 6, which may be integral with or suitably attached to the supports.

The curved support 5 extends far enough rearward to serve as a deflector and turn splash water back into the tub.

Co-extensive with that portion of the upper edge of the tub that meets an adjoining wall, there is a horizontally disposed integral rim flange 1, approximately L-shaped and grooved, as indicated at 8, to receive a cement mixture or the like, that bonds it to the wall. The front wall portion I of the tub is provided with substantially coplanar portions extending longitudinally beyond the end wall portions of the tub, and is thus longitudinally substantailly co-extensive with the horizontal rim flange 1 whereby, when the tub is in place, the rounded end wall portions of the tub are concealed.

On the rear surface of the upright portion of the flange l, supporting projections 9 are formed, which are apertured, as indicated at ID, to permit the wall plaster, cement or nails to tie through the same for added anchorage in the wall.

As the manyv important advantages of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing, it will not be necessary to describe the same at greater length.

I claim:

1. A tub comprising a front wall portion and connected end and bottom wall portions, a generally horizontal rim flange connected to the tub wall portions at the top thereof and extending laterally therefrom to meet adjoining wall portions of a building in which the tub is disposed when in use, the front wall portion of the tub extending below the bottom wall portion thereof to define a tub-supporting flange and also extending longitudinally of the tub beyond the end wall when in place, to conceal the tub bottom and end portions of the tub, said horizontal rim flange including a. portion overlying the front wall portion of the tub intermediate the ends thereof and extending laterally on opposite sides of the plane of the front wall portion, and divergent connecting wall portions extending upwardly from the front wall portion and respectively connected to opposite longitudinal edges of the overlying portion of the rim flange to form an expanded hollow rim at the front of the tub, said front Wall portion with the exception of the expanded hollow rim being substantially c o-planar and substantially vertically disposed.

2. A construction described in claim 1 wherein the upwardly extending, divergent, connecting wall portion between the front wall portion and the inner edge of the overlying portion of the rim flange is curved in cross section about a cen ter within the tub whereby to define a splash guard to turn water back into the tub,

HENRY GRUEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

AT fi' ENTS Gruen Mar. 19, 1946 

